Overnight the BBC reported there had been movement, between the UK government and the Scottish government, regarding the inquests of Scots military personnel.
Since UK Forces have been so involved in current wars, the present UK government regulated that all military inquests would be held in Wiltshire, England. That included Scots and Welsh as well as English soldiers. Prior to the Wiltshire coroner holding the inquests, they were held by the Oxfordshire coroner, but for reasons unknown, the MOD decided our dead would arrive at RAF Lyneham and they changed the inquests to Wiltshire in 2007. Scots families have waited up to 4 years for inquests to be held for their loved one and, if that's not enough, they have the ordeal of the enquiry being held hundreds of miles from home.
Now the UK government has decided that they may ask the Lord Advocate to undertake a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), but they refuse to transfer the control to the Scottish parliament. The reasons for this decision show, once again, the UK government's disdain for the Scottish people.
"Sometimes, unfortunately, more than one Service person is killed in the same incident - perhaps one from Scotland and another from England or Wales - and there should only be one inquiry in such circumstances.
"In other cases, the family's own preferences may not be easy to determine, especially for more complex, divided families. This means that careful consideration will need to be given to which jurisdiction is best placed to pursue the investigation.
"Ultimately, the decision will need to be taken at UK level, working in partnership with colleagues in the devolved administration, on a case by case basis in the best interests of the particular Service families concerned."
'If more than one soldier is killed in an incident there must be only one inquest'. Why? Much of the evidence is given in writing and if there are witnesses attending the RAF would be very willing, I'm sure, to fly them from Lyneham to Leuchars - a journey of less time than a car journey from London to Wiltshire. There is no legal reason why only one inquest should happen in these circumstances. The only reason is it saves the MOD money and the UK government refuses to devolve more powers to Scotland or Wales.
'The family's own preferences may not be easy to determine...'. Surely, when anyone dies it is the next of kin or person the deceased has appointed, who decides where they are to be buried. What's so difficult about the same sensible criteria being applied in these circumstances.
This is a quote from the MOD Handbook 'Board of Inquiry and Coroner's Inquests' for bereaved families. It contradicts the Armed Forces Minister.
"For deaths overseas, however, by convention, it is not the Coroner for the district where the body is repatriated who has jurisdiction but the “home” Coroner, that is, the Coroner in the district closest to the Next of Kin."
My disgust at the way our dead soldiers are treated is palpable. Our Prime Minister can't spare the time to pay the UK's respects to our dead by attending the short ceremony which occurs each time a bodybag arrives at RAF Lyneham. All they receive is a 5-second platitude at PMQs. Not much of a thank you for protecting the people of this country is it. Many service personnel could earn far more in civvie street but wish to serve their country. The least we can do is acknowledge that and a small part would be for Scotland to be in control of the inquests of Scots.
A few years ago the wiping out of great Scottish regiments was insulting enough. How much more contempt will Scots accept.
Update: BBC news has just reported Barack Obama is honouring fallen US servicemen/women in a series of events running up to his inauguration. Gordon Brown will shortly announce a similar event I expect. I doubt if such an occasion would ever actually happen but talk is cheap isn't it.
Overnight the BBC reported there had been movement, between the UK government and the Scottish government, regarding the inquests of Scots military personnel.
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8 comments:
perhaps if the Scottish Parliament(by a vote) were to ask for local Inquests as opposed to the minority snp Government. It might be possible to disentangle Personal tragedy from party political factions and the suspicion of some nationalists using this issue to further their Independence agenda.
Niko, why are the unionists so blinkered and lacking in common sense? This subject is human tragedy and way about party politics.
The previous executive were perfectly happy to let families trail up and down to Oxfordshire and now Wiltshire off and on for months. They could have done something about this but didn't.
As soon as the SNP decided to do this it's immediately claimed to be part of the independence agenda. It's you that makes it so, not the SNP or the many people directly involved.
The SNP have campaigned long and hard for this for some years in the same way they campaigned to save the Scottish regiments.
You'll possibly agree that the Scottish regiments should have been obliterated. I don't. Neither do many Scots folk who are members of the armed forces and not in Scottish regiments. This action was not needed, not supported and only necessary to keep the name Scotland or Scottish off the map.
The Scottish regiments will be remembered worldwide far longer than any unionist leader. When we get independence they will be resurrected I have no doubt.
That should read 'way above' not 'way about'. Too emotional on this subject.
subrosa,
Andrew Walker the Oxfordshire coroner was an outspoken critic of the MOD and the US Forces, particularly over "friendly fire" incidents.
He was critical of the US Government's ruling that prevented their servicemen from being questioned.
He recorded a verdict of unlawful killing by the US military in the case of the TV reporter, Terry Lloyd, who was shot in an ambulance.
He recorded the death of Corporal Matty Hall as a "criminal, unlawful act" and criticised the MOD for making the family of Corporal John Cosby fight every step of the way to obtain details of his death.
He, again, fell out with the MOD when an RAF Nimrod crashed in Afghanistan and recorded a devastating criticism of the MOD.
Having been a thorn in their flesh, over these and numerous other instances, over a number of years the MOD decided enough was enough.
They decided that RAF Brize Norton needed up-dating so military casualties could not be landed there and would be landed instead at RAF Lyneham which is even older than Brize Norton but, crucially, would come under the jurisdiction of a different coroner.
On a far less serious note, I left a message for you on AMW's announcement article.
The Scottish regiments as was have marched into the mists of time.
The snp are led by a pacifist any resurrection will be of a Scottish defence force.
A pale imitation of past glory's I'm afraid
I have squadies in the family. I wish they hadn't signed up.
Brownlie thank you for the history recent history of the behaviour of the labour government regarding bringing home our fallen. I know all of it sadly.
I also know that not one senior member of the UK government has ever attended the brief service which occurs when the bodybag(s) are brought from the planes.
It's only the families and the military who give the occasion reverence. I'm speechless about governmental behaviour in this regard.
Niko, the contribution that Scotland gives to the HM Forces isn't a past glory, it's a present fact.
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